As SEGA has continued to expand its biggest series throughout the last few years, we’ve seen a steady flow of games from RGG Studio, ATLUS, and, naturally, the Sonic team. While Sonic fans will seemingly need to wait a little bit longer before getting a first look at the next all-original 3D platformer, there’s still a brand new Sonic game on the horizon. This time, though, it’s a bit of a surprise release, as SEGA revealed that Sonic is teaming up with Pico Park in an all-new game, aptly titled Sonic Pico Park.
At Summer Game Fest: Play Days 2026, I had the chance to go hands-on with Sonic Pico Park alongside three other members of the press. We eventually completed the demo, but let me tell you: this game is going to be pure chaos in the best way possible.
If you’re unfamiliar with Pico Park, it was initially released in 2016 by developer TECOPARK as a multiplayer co-op platformer. Essentially, Pico Park throws you and your friends into a string of challenges that you must cooperate on together to progress. As you might expect, jumping right into Sonic Pico Park with other members of the press I’d never met before presented some challenge: we had to learn how to communicate and work together fast. Otherwise, we weren’t clearing any levels.
Something Sonic Pico Park specifically introduces is character-specific abilities for the Sonic characters. For example, Tails, as you’d hope, can fly and hover in the air, as well as carry allies across one ledge to another. Every character has two simple abilities: a jump and a spin dash. Both of these are used on almost every level, and since they’re both easy to pick up, you’ll quickly learn how to be precise with them to complete obstacles.
With this in mind, Sonic Pico Park throws obstacles at you that require certain characters to use their original abilities. For example, I played as Tails during my preview. One level had a major ledge with seemingly no way across. Using Tails’ ability to fly, I had to bring each character over the floor so they didn’t fall to their death. This quickly got chaotic as I attempted to align characters together and not bump into walls on the way over.
Above all else, though, this is a game about teamwork. One of the levels we faced together required us to carefully stack on top of one another to get over a wall and up to a platform. My group was continuously fine-tuning our alignment, and we had to change orders a few times to put Knuckles on top to use his ability. There are also rings in Sonic Pico Park, and if one player gets hit without a ring, they’ll die and restart the level for everyone.
One thing’s for sure: if you’ve yet to find your fill of multiplayer chaos this year, Sonic Pico Park is sure to fill that void. If you’re playing this with friends, I’d expect a lot of yelling, chaos, and fun. Pico Park fans will feel right at home, as will Sonic fans. This was not a collaboration I ever expected, but having played it, I can say it’s definitely one to watch.
Sonic Pico Park is set to launch on PC via Steam, as well as “other platforms”.
